The Big Cheese Festival, Caerphilly

Here at Azure, we love a festival. Especially when that festival is jammed full of food tasting, musical performances and dancing! The Big Cheese Festival definitely provides all these plus much more and the fact that it’s free to get in makes it one of our favourite festivals of the summer.
The town of Caerphilly is famous for its Caerphilly cheese, which is rumoured to have been created in the town way back in 1831. It is believed to have been developed to provide coal miners of the town with an effective way of replenishing the salt lost through their gruelling ten hour shifts underground.

Cheese

Caerphilly cheese

Held every year in the historic town since 1997, the festival is situated on the Owain Glyndwr Playing Fields, just a twenty minute drive from the Welsh capital, Cardiff.
This year’s festival starts on Friday 26th of July and continues over the weekend, ending on Sunday 28th. On the first day, many festival goers, both adults and children, will be competing in the annual Great Cheese Race! The race itself is staged around the grounds of Britain’s second largest castle, the magnificent Caerphilly castle, built in the 13th century. Every year there is a theme with participants having to wear fancy dress. This year’s theme is the Olympics, with prizes going to the best dressed and not to forget, the winner of the race itself! Sadly it is now too late to apply to take part in the race, but we’re sure that watching this fun filled event will be just as enjoyable.Aside from the Great Cheese Race, a packed entertainment programme will ensure visitors have lots of fun over the three days.

Festival goers can expect the following;
• Funfair & traditional funfair
• Firework display (Friday 26th – around 10pm)
• Re-enactment displays
• Musical entertainment
• Educational activities
• Food hall
• Craft stalls
• Activity marquee
• Tommy Cooper tent

Caerphilly Castle

Caerphilly Castle viewed from David Williams Park

There is so much to do at the festival, but if you just want to relax with your friends and family there are designated picnic areas on the site, allowing you to take in all the atmosphere the charming town has to offer. This year around 80,000 people are expected to experience the Big Cheese Festival, we highly recommend that you visit, it’s definitely one of Azure’s favourite summer festivals. Remember, it starts on Friday 26th July and ends on Sunday 28th, all ages are welcome and it’s free!

http://your.caerphilly.gov.uk/bigcheese/home-page

Image credits

http://pixabay.com/en/caerphilly-cheese-milk-product-food-3500/

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2570067